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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23444290">Wisps of Cherries and Smoke</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Le_kunokimchi/pseuds/Le_kunokimchi'>Le_kunokimchi</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Together We're a 10/10 [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Umbrella Academy (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ben is a mess, Ben is alive, Cigarettes, Horrance, M/M, No explicit smut, Pansexual Character, Pseudo-Incest, Sober Klaus Hargreeves, au kinda, gay in denial (at first), hormonal teens, innocent diego, lip gloss, slight discussion of kinks</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 13:22:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Underage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,335</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23444290</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Le_kunokimchi/pseuds/Le_kunokimchi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ben tried to look away, he really did, but even as his brothers argued, his gaze remained solely on the boy's glossy, sparkling, and red plump lips.<br/>"Your lips are naturally glittery? Bullshit," Diego said dryly.<br/>"They always did say that my mouth was magical..." Four flirted, noticing the way Ben's jaw dropped and sent him a wink.</p><p>OR the one where Klaus decides to flaunt his new lip gloss and Ben lets his curiosity get the best of him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Allison Hargreeves &amp; Ben Hargreeves, Ben Hargreeves/Klaus Hargreeves, Diego Hargreeves &amp; Klaus Hargreeves</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Together We're a 10/10 [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1678948</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>250</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Wisps of Cherries and Smoke</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Ngl, it's kinda spicy.<br/>~enjoy</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Since Klaus was thirteen, he had always worn makeup.</p><p>It was nothing unusual, never bothering Ben in the slightest.</p><p>His brother knew he was bisexual from an early age and Ben was supportive every step of the way. Even when their big brother (by milliseconds) Luther disowned their fragile number Four and when dear old Reggie knocked Klaus in the head with his cane upon seeing his rowdy son wearing their mother's high heels; he was especially supportive when Klaus had fallen down the stairs from the whack and had his jaw wired shut for three weeks. Their sisters didn't seem to mind; in fact, Allison loved to do her makeup with her flamboyant brother because Vanya wasn't all that keen on "girl time". And while Klaus's other brothers seemed mildly uncomfortable by the fact that he was different, Ben never noticed a change. Being different, and being proud of it, was just Klaus being Klaus. And number Six knew that no matter what his brother was or wanted to be, he'd be there for him because that's what brothers do (or good ones at least). </p><p>Now 17, Klaus regularly sported black eyeliner smudged along his lower lid and obsidian nail polish among both fingers and toes. He'd dress in monochrome shades, normally skinny jeans and crop tops, but occasionally throwing in a skirt and a tight tank top with a plunging V-neck. It was obvious that none of the males in the household approved, but Ben had always admired his edgy but elegant style. He never thought that in all his life, he'd be thinking to himself that Klaus could pull off a skirt damn well. He could pull off a crop top and low waisted skinny jeans just as well. And even with the skirts and makeup, there was still a sense of sexy masculinity to Klaus. Ben couldn't quite describe it as anything more than alluring.<br/>
Sometimes, he wishes that he could be as wild and free as Four, that he could wear just as bold fashion statements and still look fucking good, but he knew he could never be able to pull it off. It was just something uniquely Klaus. Whether it be the way he dresses or perhaps the way he carries himself, there was something hypnotic about him that attracted girls and guys alike. Even without the makeup, even without the suggestive clothing, Klaus was just absolutely stunning in his own way: from his long and naturally curled eyelashes to his wild and unruly ringlets to his twinkling green eyes to his lean and petite body to his bright and contagious grin... everything about him was simply beautiful.</p><p>And he knew it. The little shit knew he was hot. Klaus was always the attention seeker, and he'd flaunt around looking like a snack with no shame. Whenever he caught Ben eyeing his appearance (just in curiosity of course) he'd flash a cocky smirk and look away, like he was saying "Yeah, go ahead, take it all in, I know I look good." And then Ben's mouth would go dry and he'd roll his eyes despite the heat tickling the tips of his ears. His brother's ego was just too big for his own good.</p><p>But, although Ben considered his brother attractive, he never once thought about himself having a crush on Klaus. Six never thought that he was gay... You can find a guy appealing without being into guys, right? He never thought about kissing Klaus, or tugging his hair, or wrapping his arms around his neck while he sucked a sinful bruise onto his throat- No, no thoughts like that for sure. He'll admit that Klaus is seductive, it was practically his second superpower. He could swipe any guy Allison was buttering up in a matter of seconds and coax any girl into leaving one of his straighter brothers with a few words and a suggestive smirk. He could work people with his charms, and work them he did. But not Ben, Six had too much willpower, he'd never fall into his brother's intoxicating traps. Ever. He knew him too well, he knew all his tricks. Nothing would ever break Ben, he'd never give in to the temptation. </p><p>Or at least that's what he told himself, until today...</p><p>It was Saturday, approximately 12:00 pm when they got half an hour to an hour of free time. Ben was sitting in the lounge, reading a book on the sofa as he heard his rambunctious brother shout from the stairs landing above him, "Good morning dearest siblings!"<br/>
"It's afternoon, number Four," Luther grumbled as he passed through the room, glancing around as if he was searching for something.</p><p>"Oh noon, shmoon; I had just gotten up a little awhile ago so how was I supposed to know?" the medium laughed as he hopped his way downstairs.<br/>
"Maybe if you didn't stay up all night, you wouldn't sleep so long," number Two observed, twirling a knife on his finger as he plopped down on the loveseat. </p><p>"Oh, but at night," Klaus replied happily, jumping over the back of the other sofa to plop down opposite to Ben, "the city is the most alive."</p><p>"What do you even do all night?" Luther sneered with a wrinkle of his nose, lifting up the sofa Ben was on to check beneath it. Six just dug his feet in between the cushions to anchor himself as the balance shifted and continued reading.</p><p>"Depends," the boy practically purred as he folded his long fingers beneath his chin. A slight shiver went down Ben's spine at his tone.<br/>
"On?" Allison had now joined the conversation, sitting next to Ben while still leaving respectable space between them.</p><p>He winks as he snickered, "How I'm feeling at the time if you know what I mean."<br/>
"Geez, yes we know. Now stop, I don't want to know about your- wait, what's t-that on your lips?"</p><p>At Diego's question, Ben found himself looking up from his book to observe his flamboyant brother for the first time this morning/afternoon. His eyes narrowed as he peered at Klaus's mouth.<br/>
"Oh, whatever do you mean dear brother?" the brunette teased with a slight pout, "This might just be my natural nude lip."</p><p>Ben tried to look away, he really did, but even as his brothers argued, his gaze remained solely on the boy's glossy, sparkling, and red plump lips.<br/>
"Your lips are naturally glittery? Bullshit," Diego said dryly.<br/>
"They always did say that my mouth was magical..." Four flirted, noticing the way Ben's jaw dropped and sent him a wink.</p><p>Two stuttered out a "Y-You're d-disgusting," before scrambling away in horror, not sticking around to hear Klaus's amused laughter. Luther had long gone after finding whatever it was that he was looking for and Allison was watching the exchange in silent approval. </p><p>The brunette's tongue darted out briefly to lick the edge of his bottom lip as he muttered, "No, I'm quite yummy, actually."<br/>
By now, Six had regained his composure and straightened up as he tentatively commented, "It's made for wearing, not eating, Klaus."<br/>
The boy grinned at finally getting some sort of response from his favorite brother. "Yeah, I know, I know. It just..."</p><p>"Just what?" His tongue felt heavy all of a sudden as he noticed Klaus shift onto his back, sprawled out across the couch and bringing a hand to drape over his forehead. He was wearing black low waisted skinny jeans with holes along the upper thigh and a sweater the color of ash that hung loosely from his shoulder and flooded over his thin wrists. With his new position, Ben could see where the sweater had ridden up, exposing a pale navel and a chiseled v-line that disappeared beneath a belted waistband. The slightly smaller boy gulped as he noticed wine-red briefs barely peeking out from under the belt buckle.</p><p>"It tastes good. Huh, Allison? Doesn't some lip glosses taste so good that you can't help licking it off?" He said, although his gaze remained on Ben through hooded lashes. Six felt the Horror twitch within his stomach.<br/>
The girl giggled, "Yeah, especially the one you're using. It is the one I got you for our birthday, right?"<br/>
The boy nodded, eyes flickering to her with a satisfied smirk. "Yep, I gotta say, you picked the perfect flavor."</p><p>Ben nibbled the inside of his cheek, beginning to feel antsy. "It's flavored?" He watched Klaus run his tongue over his bottom lip slowly.</p><p>"Well duh, ya dodo," he drawled.<br/>
Six decided that the conversation was making his skin itch whenever he looked at Klaus so his eyes quickly landed on Allison as he asked, "What flavor lip gloss did you get him?"</p><p>She shrugged before giving a mischievous grin, making Ben want to curse the heavens because that look could not be trusted. "I don't remember, something red. I guess you'll have to ask him." She stood as the mission alarm rang and their other siblings began racing up the stairs.</p><p>Ben glanced at Klaus briefly as he set his book down, noting the way his brother's lips parted slightly when he stood and stretched. He tried not to think about other ways to make those lips part. He tried really hard not to think about what the lip gloss tasted like... It must be really desirable if Klaus keeps rolling his lips together like that. Six shook his head, knowing that now was not the time to get distracted. He began his ascent up the stairs, dreading the thought of putting on his uncomfortable uniform.</p><p>-</p><p>Klaus was such an asshole, Ben thought with a sigh. The mission was supposed to be relatively easy: go in, stop some robbers, retrieve the museum artifacts, hand them over to the police, and then leave. But then there was Klaus, the ever infuriating Klaus, that excessively pouted his lips every time someone mentioned his position as the lookout, purse them whenever someone spoke to him, bite them as he glanced around apprehensively whenever he thought he was alone (most likely looking at the ghosts), and then the licking... dear lord the licking was the worse. Whenever he thought there were a few moments of peace, he'd run his pink tongue over his inner-most lip, like it was a quickly forming habit. And then, when his tongue would pull away, there would be GLITTER on it: gooey red glitter that'd roll over his taste buds and disappear into the depths of his mouth and then his lips would appear even shinier from the saliva leftover.</p><p>Ben couldn't stand it. It drove him mad. He couldn't focus; every time he'd close his eyes to blink, there would be an image of Klaus lapping at his luscious lips. And even when he'd attack an enemy and wipe their blood from his face, he'd find himself wonder what the red liquid on Klaus's lips tasted like. It was red, surely it wouldn't taste like the blood covering his own lips, right? Unless Klaus was a vampire or some shit... He shivered in disgust, regretting that trail of thought. It had to be sweet, Klaus liked sweets... Maybe strawberry? Or maybe it was a spicy lip plumper, Klaus had always wanted one of those. Maybe cinnamon?<br/>
"Ben, come on!" Five hollered over Ben's wandering thoughts, "They are getting away!"<br/>
"Oh, right! Sorry!" It was Klaus's fault if they got away. His dumbass and his stupid lip gloss. His stupid, glittery, ruby red, enticing lip gl- enemies. Focus on the enemies.  </p><p>Ben stopped two more of the robbers, hitting them in the kneecaps with a crowbar, rather than using the Horror, and allowing Diego to finish them off with a knife to the throat. The third one was too fast, flinging open the back door and beginning their escape. Five was out of jumps and Luther was busy handling the collapsing T-rex skeleton so Ben decided to go after him. But as he ran out and rounded the corner, there was a flash of blue light that caused one of his hands to shield his eyes. When the glow faded, Ben stumbled upon the third guy's body lying face down on the ground covered in scratches, gouges, and purple finger marks around the neck. Six looked to the glowing blue ghost standing off to the side with its lower jaw missing and top row of teeth falling out; its hungry gaze was on the body on the ground before glancing to the boy on the right. Klaus seemed visibly shaken as he stared at the body with wide eyes, jaw clenched tightly and sweat dotting his brow.</p><p>Ben found himself shudder at the haunted yet terrifying look in his brother's eyes before the glowing blue of his hands faded and the ghost disappeared from view.<br/>
"K-Klaus?" Six called, placing a hand on his shoulder. The boy jumped slightly at the touch before giving Ben a strained smile.<br/>
"I got em'. Not bad for the lookout, eh?"<br/>
Before he got a chance to answer, he found his attention waver as Klaus bit his lip and glanced over Ben's shoulder. The smallest splatter of blood dotted his brother's pale face, a noticeable drop intermingling with the red of his lips. How good could the lip gloss possibly taste now? Ben wanted to immediately punch himself; his brother just killed his first bad guy and he's still thinking about his fucking lip gloss? He really needed to learn some priorities.</p><p>His brother's makeup was becoming a problem, a big problem: it was distracting one of the team's most valuable assets. Between the bleeding eyeliner and smeared lip gloss, Ben couldn't ignore the raging curiosity that was threatening to burn him alive. He was going to find out what flavor that lip gloss was, even if he had to torture Allison into telling him. Even if he had to-</p><p>"Ben!" A stern shout snapped him out of his haze, letting go of Klaus's shoulder to turn out around and face the intimidating number One.<br/>
"Uh- yes?"<br/>
"What was that in there?" Luther scolded, his arms crossed, "You could have easily taken out all of those men yet you only used your powers once! Your head was really not in the game today and I expect you to be a lot less distracted next time."<br/>
Ben gulped as he nodded, "Y-Yeah, of course. I promise to do better."</p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>The ride home was an awkward one. Ben could feel the tension radiating off of his siblings in waves. They were frustrated with him, he knew and he honestly couldn't blame them; he was pretty frustrated with himself too. Klaus seemed indifferent though; he didn't say a word and stared out the window with a distant look in his eyes. Six got scolded from father for not unleashing more of the Horror during the battle when they arrived at the mansion before being excused to his room. No one knew about what Klaus did except for him. He didn't dare bring it up to Reginald.</p><p>When he reached his door, he heard Allison's voice mumble "Hey..."<br/>
Six looked at her, seeing the irritation melt to exhaustion in her eyes.<br/>
"If you're really that curious about it," she huffed in amusement, "Why don't you just go look for it in his room?"<br/>
Ben blinked at her a few times before realizing what she was implying. "Y-You knew?"<br/>
"Well it was pretty obvious by the way you kept looking at him today, Ben," she rolled her eyes before adding, "Rumors are my specialty, you know."<br/>
Ben's face flushed as he murmured, "It wasn't that obvious..." before retreating into his room in embarrassment.<br/>
"I'm just saying," Allison called out from behind his door, "It won't be as distracting if you find out."<br/>
"Curiosity killed the cat," he replied grimly, not even wanting to sneak into Klaus's room- of all people- and knowing full well that Klaus won't just tell him easily.<br/>
"But the satisfaction brought it back."</p><p>-</p><p>So here he was, 7 o'clock at night, rummaging around Klaus's mess of a room while he was downstairs doing hell knows what. He checked the more obvious places first: the tops of his nightstand, dresser, and bed. No luck, just knick-knacks, and some dirty clothes. Anxiety built up in Ben's stomach, knowing that his brother could return any second and catch him in the act; yet his desire to know was becoming more frantic, desperate, as the minutes continued to tick by. Where does Klaus even keep his makeup? Ben huffed, now rifling through his brother's drawers (only becoming slightly embarrassed by the some of the more... provocative pieces within his underwear drawer). Still no luck. He moved on to the nightstand drawer, opening it up before choking at the sight of the contents. He slammed the drawer shut immediately, his face on fire and regret haunting his eyes. (Note to self: never open up Four's bedside drawer...) Six shivered in disgust, and only slight arousal (he'd rather die than admit it though), as he looked around the floor.<br/>
It was littered with a few discarded garments, perhaps the lip gloss had rolled under them? Or maybe it was in one of his pockets? He picked up a pair of jeans and patted down the sides before tossing it over his shoulder. Next. He picked up a black crop top with the silver words "Sugar" across the front, shook it, and then tossed it over his shoulder too. Next. He spotted a black pair of panties near the bedpost and, not really wanting to touch them, began nudging them with the toe of his shoe. Nothing. This continued on for another couple of minutes as Ben found himself not-so-subtly searching each piece of clothing; he even went as far as to shake each one of his shoes in case it had somehow miraculously fallen in. Still no luck.<br/>
Six then decided to peek beneath the bed, being met with all sorts of clutter stacked up and stashed under there. He found an ouija board, a few board games, a deck of cards, and- hey, was that one of his books?! That bastard; he probably hid it from him and then completely forgot about it. Ben stashed the book in his coat pocket before standing back up with a grumble. Still no lip gloss. Where else could it be? The only place left was the-<br/>
Ben froze as he heard footsteps coming up the stairs, followed by an obnoxious laugh and a gruff reprimanding. He looked to the nearest hiding place, the closet, and scrambled inside as he heard the voices drawing closer.<br/>
The teen curled up in the corner next to a pair of combat boots, pulling his knees close to his chest and sliding the closet door closed as quickly as he can. His heart pounded in his ears as he heard the bedroom door open, a mix of adrenaline, anxiety, and regret stirring in his stomach. </p><p>"I d-don't understand" -definitely Diego's voice with that small stutter, "How would you know about girls... like that... if you're gay?"<br/>
"Diego dearest," unmistakenly Klaus's condescending purr (Ben knew it quite well), "I'm not gay."<br/>
"Y-You're not?"<br/>
"No, I'm pans; big diffy," the brunette tsked as he walked towards the dresser, now visible to Ben through the small crack between the closet door and the wall.<br/>
"So you've like... 'done it' with both guys and girls?" he asked hesitantly, soundingly mildly uncomfortable.<br/>
Klaus giggled like the naughty child he is, flashing a pretentious grin, "Oh yes, although, I have to say, I prefer guys." He pulled out a pack of cigarettes from the top drawer.</p><p>Ben found himself unable to look away, feeling guilty for listening to the conversation but also quite intrigued. Since when did he want to hear about Klaus's sexual preferences? What the hell was happening to him nowadays... Oh well, he just had to wait until the coast was clear; he's got nothing better to do, right?</p><p>"But, when you're with a guy... are, y-you know, bottom because you're more feminine with your makeup and stuff or-"<br/>
"Woah, woah, woah- lemme stop you right there before you accidentally offend someone!" Klaus interrupted, placing his hands on his hips as he tilted his chin up like a scolding mother, "Your sexuality does not define your position, naive bruder of mine. It depends on your preference in being dom or sub." He rolled his eyes as he explained as if it was one of the simplest of topics.</p><p>Ben found himself begin to stutter as bad as Diego when considering his words; what did that even mean? What does that have to do with Klaus?<br/>
Two voiced his concerns for him though. "Well, which are you?" he snapped in embarrassment. It was probably degrading to have your "little" brother explain intimate activities to you. Hell, if it was bad for Diego, it was even worse for the wallflower that is Ben.<br/>
Four hummed cheekily, his eyes holding a strange glint as he said, "I'm a switch."<br/>
"A s-switch? I d-don't-"<br/>
The medium smirked as he began pacing around the room like a predator, eyes drifting to the clothes on the floor every now and then as he went. "It means that I can be either. Sometimes I might find a total daddy named Brad- wait I take that back, we have enough daddy issues- a super hot, strong, hunk of a man..." he shivered in delight, causing Diego to cringe slightly, "And I'd totally become full submissive and have him dominate the fuck out of me... Dude Brad's are always hot."<br/>
"Oh my god Klaus-"</p><p>"But," the brunette drawled before stopping his pacing abruptly and staring at the closet with an intensity that made Ben's breath hitch, "there are times where I find a naive and shy comic book nerd and think 'wouldn't that innocent little face look awfully pretty when flustered and whimpering for me?'. And little Eugene becomes full putty in my hands, and one could say that the satisfaction of making them cry out turns me into a total dom. I bet Eugene's books never brought him the kind of pleasure I could..."</p><p>Six curled in on himself more (if it was even possible at this point), feeling like he was completely exposed to the teen who subconsciously bit his lip in thought. Two glanced from his brother to the closet door in confusion, assuming that perhaps Klaus was just being his strange self.</p><p> </p><p>How does he even know?! Ben wanted to scream. The cocky shit knew he was in the closet; he KNEW, he doesn't know how or when he realized, but he fucking knew. And the last comment... it sounded awfully suggestive towards someone a lot more personal than a random comic book geek he met off the streets... Does this "Eugene" even exist? Or was he purposefully trying to make him sound extremely similar to him- A trap. That's what this was: a ploy perfectly set up to cause Ben's ultimate demise.</p><p>Klaus wasn't stupid, in fact, he was actually quite cunning and manipulative. He probably knew Ben would try to sneak in his room, knew that he'd just have to leave and wait awhile before coming back with Diego and spark a conversation that he wanted Ben to hear but knew that Ben would never be comfortable having. Because Ben was a stubborn ass and he had always thought himself to be smarter than Klaus, that he was always one step ahead and that he wasn't gullible enough to fall for his brother's charms... but here he was: a cornered animal in a cage, forced to listen to everything Klaus had to say but too prideful to exit the closet. Was the lip gloss part of his plan too? Ben scoffed at the thought, there was no way. How would Klaus know that his curiosity would drive him up a riverbank when Ben wouldn't have even known himself. There was no way, his traps couldn't be that thorough. </p><p>Ben feared to breathe. The silence was deafening. Was Klaus going to call him out? Oh god, did Diego know? Was Diego all part of his plot too-<br/>
Four looked away from the door, a slight scowl dawning his face for a moment before he gave Two a tired smile.<br/>
Why was he doing this? What could the flippant and rambunctious number Four possibly gain from attracting the attention of his polar opposite? Ben couldn't understand; was he trying to teach him a lesson for something? Was he trying to rile him up and make him let off some steam? Was he trying to make him realize that he couldn't deny the feelings-<br/>
Feelings. What feelings? Four was just his attractive brother, right? A brother that made him laugh, a brother that made him cry, a brother that made him blush and damn his hormones, a brother that he- Oh god. He had a crush on his brother. A big, fat, futile to deny, crush. And that meant that he WAS NOT straight. That meant that all the times Klaus would flirt with him and be all touchy-feely it was because his brother fucking KNEW. He KNEW that Ben was GAY before he did HIMSELF. Geez, the irony. Klaus always did say that the thing he pitied the most was a gay in denial. And that's what Ben has been for the past four years, stuck to his brother like glue... a gay in denial.</p><p>"Well D, although this has been nice, I had some previous arrangements this fine evening." Before he could ask what he meant, Klaus slightly shuffled the box of cigarettes with an impatient look.<br/>
"Oh, yeah man, uh go ahead. Thanks for the... whatever that was."<br/>
Klaus grinned (Ben noted that it didn't quite reach his eyes though) as he squeezed Diego's shoulder and left the room. </p><p>As soon as Diego followed Klaus's actions, Six jumped up and ran to go find his brother, knowing that he'd most likely be on the rooftop smoking away his problems.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p>"Klaus?"<br/>
Said male glanced back lazily to meet Ben's eyes before scooting over to make room. His panting yet grateful brother plopped down next to him with a sigh.</p><p>They stayed quiet for a few moments, Six just watching his brother take a deep drag of his cigarette before exhaling it out with a faraway look in his eyes. The smoke mingling in the air was the same color as his sweater, just like how his lips were now faintly the same color as his briefs.<br/>
Ben wouldn't have minded the quiet moment together, kinda forgetting his reason for coming in the first place. He couldn't help but get mesmerized by how pale skin seemed to glow under the moonlight and his lips, always so plump looking, would delicately be placed back around his cigarette after each exhale. </p><p>Klaus was always good at ruining moments like these.<br/>
"Look who finally came out of the closet," he snickered, the one-liner was too perfect to resist with its metaphorical and physical meaning.<br/>
Ben blushed at that, scowling and swatting at his brother's arm. "How did you even know?"</p><p>Klaus shrugged, his gaze losing its previous mirth as it settled over the city. "My clothes were moved."<br/>
Another smokey exhale.</p><p>"No, not that... that I wasn't... that I liked..." Ben stumbled over his words, running a hand through his hair in frustration.<br/>
Four finally looked at him with an eyebrow raised.<br/>
The smaller boy took a deep breath before murmuring "That I wasn't straight..."</p><p>Klaus huffed a laugh before saying, "I didn't know. I always assumed that if you weren't, you would have told me."<br/>
"What- But you- I don't understand," Ben stammered, scowling in disbelief, "All that flirting and suggestive remarks and the excessive amount of physical contact... wasn't to get me to admit how I feel towards you?"<br/>
"How you feel towards me?" the brunette genuinely laughed now, a smile lighting up his eyes, "Dude I just did that 'cus I'm into you. I didn't really care if you felt the same or not because, in the end, I flirt with everyone. Might as well take my chance and get possibly lucky, right?"</p><p>"Oh..." Ben felt humiliated. Here he was, fearing that Klaus was some evil mastermind that just plotted out his whole identity reveal in an elaborate chain of events but nope. It was just Klaus, being Klaus. Using his charms, working his second superpower- wait. "It won't work on me," Ben said with shaky determination, already crumbling from hours of knawing temptation, "I know what you're trying to do right now. I won't fall for it."</p><p>Klaus appeared slightly irritated now as he scoffed. "And what am I doing now exactly, süsser?"<br/>
Ben gulped as his brother exhaled this next smoke right into the space between them, unwavering as Six tried not to cough.</p><p>"Y-You're," curse his stupid stutter- he was starting to sound like Diego- "trying to get me to hook up with you... b-but I don't want that."<br/>
The brunette sighed and plucked the cigarette from his lips, setting it off to the side, before turning his full attention to the boy in front of him. He crossed one leg over the other and leaned back on his hands. "And what do you want, Ben?"</p><p>The words died on his tongue. He just turned down Klaus, KLAUS... and he didn't even appear mad, or upset. He just looked at Ben expectantly, patiently, almost encouragingly. Was this one of Klaus's new tactics he didn't know about? To make the person feel special so they get attached and give him exactly what he wanted?<br/>
Oh god, he was pouting those lips again... those ruby red fucking lips. What does he want, huh? He has been wanting all day to taste those scrumptious looking lips.</p><p>"What flavor is your lip gloss?" Ben breathed, knowing... lord he knew, that this is exactly what Klaus has been waiting for since the moment he came downstairs this morning. Yet, Ben wanted to know. He REALLY wanted to know. To hell with his dignity, he needed his fucking sanity too.</p><p>The medium smirked, that cocky, intoxicating, gut-wrenchingly beautiful smirk... and gazed at him with not satisfaction or lust, no, this was more reassuring emotions, emotions that wouldn't be shown to some Brad or Eugene he meets at a club. His eyes were full of excitement and hope and adoration as he muttered, "I could tell you, but I think I'd rather have you taste it and find out, hm?"<br/>
He then pulled the small lip gloss container from his pocket, putting on a new coat messily before leaning forward to meet Ben's already parting lips.</p><p>And at that moment, Ben felt like his heart exploded. Heat rushed through his chest and clouded his mind, the hunger to finally solve today's most pressing question, to finally release the frenzy to taste Klaus and ALL of Klaus... overtook him. Without any warning, he gripped the sides of the brunette's face and pushed his tongue into his mouth, kissing more and more passionately in an attempt to squelch the frantic fire alit in his body. But it only grew because, like his brother had said earlier, his mouth was magical. It was fucking intoxicating and he became so drunken off of the sensation that he forgot to breathe. And it wasn't until Klaus tore away, looking at him with a wild glint in his eye as he panted, that he remembered to inhale. But this breath was different. There was some gooey and sticky and sweet coating on his taste buds and chilling his lips.</p><p>Ben ran his tongue over his bottom lip slowly, savoring the way Klaus watched him intently, before he closed his eyes and sighed.<br/>
"Well?"<br/>
"Cherries." Ben opened his eyes and smiled, "Cherries and smoke."</p>
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